I don't take notes, never have. I use OneNote, and every semster I make a new folder for each class, but ever semster at the end they are all empty. Just never been an auditory learner.

Yeah, I take some notes in class, but it's mostly just to fit in. I hardly ever end up consulting my notes when it's time to study/outline. I usually just go through the textbook when I outline, copying and pasting class notes in sometimes.

I don’t even make outlines anymore either, mainly because I have avoid taking any classes that are closed book exams since first semester of 2L. So when exam time comes I just do a “search and destroy” on the book, looking up stuff I need to answer the hypos. I do still brief every case I read, but its book briefing/underlining with some notes jotted down in the margins or a highlight every now and then if I pay attention in class and the prof says this will be on the exam. So if I lose my book before the exam, I’m screwed.

I don't get how people survive class without the internet to take away the moments of boredom. In all honesty class is useless. Most of my professors play hide the ball and confuse more than help. Only one of my professors holds meaningful class discussions. The others feed us mindless dribble, and in between the bull pull out points of relevant law that you already know (if you were smart enough to buy commercial outlines). People are going to say that you need to learn how your professor tests, and i will say in retort "that is what practice tests and office hours are for."

+1

In my crim pro class we use the Dressler textbook. I read Dressler's Understanding Crim Pro before class and I've usually already read what the professor talks about. Many professors don't provide much additional info than the textbook/supplement has. This is especially true for 1L classes because most professors don't specialize in torts or contracts...they specialize in some crazy area and just have to teach these classes.

+2. Not totally useless, it's a great time to outline. It helps keep me from wasting time on the internet. I don't take a bunch of notes either in class when I happen to pay attention. I take notes right in the casebook, jot down, underline, or star something the prof mentioned so I make sure to put it in my outline. But as far as actual learning, class is pointless for me. you have to find what works for you. There are people in my class who could moonlight as friggin' court reporters, they type nearly everything the professor says. They participate in class, have huge monster outlines, and generally do far more work than I would ever dream of doing. They do well I think, so it works for them. I did just as well with not nearly as much effort. To me, law school is all about working smarter, not harder. But at the end of the day, you just have to figure out what works for you and stick to it. A couple of folks still type out briefs for every case; I stopped briefing after the first week. I found it pointless. Yeah, it might help you look good in class. But all that counts is the exam. I choose to empty my gun on test day, rather than waste bullets impressing the professor and the handful of students who are really paying attention on a Wednesday in the middle of the semester.

My computer recently died and I'm looking at getting a replacement. I can get Microsoft Office Professional for a pretty cheap price, but it doesn't come with OneNote. Do you think OneNote is really that necessary of a program for law school or would Word just suffice?

Loooooooooooove my OneNote. Our Crim Law professor loves to use graphs, and I just whip out the paint toolbar and scribble away. My neighbor has been trying to keep up by doodling them in his textbook but he's no match for OneNote. Muahahah (okay, a little evil, but I did email them to him so all is well). Go with OneNote.

My computer recently died and I'm looking at getting a replacement. I can get Microsoft Office Professional for a pretty cheap price, but it doesn't come with OneNote. Do you think OneNote is really that necessary of a program for law school or would Word just suffice?

It depends on your goals. If you just want median, MS Word should be fine. If you're shooting for top 10%, I'd use OneNote.

LOL.

I finished my first semester and did really well, and honestly as a mac user I've never even heard of one note.

It's the type of comments such as the one quoted above that makes law school challenging. People try to psych you out into doing things a certain way. I didn't even outline for classes. Study what works for you, some people take notes on the computer, some in a notepad, and some do great/bad with each method. I assure you it won't make a significant difference.

It's the type of comments such as the one quoted above that makes law school challenging. People try to psych you out into doing things a certain way. I didn't even outline for classes. Study what works for you, some people take notes on the computer, some in a notepad, and some do great/bad with each method. I assure you it won't make a significant difference.

It's the type of comments such as the one quoted above that makes law school challenging. People have no sense of humor and lose (or never had) any and all ability to understand sarcasm.

You’re all dumb if you have to take notes in the first place. This stuff is not rocket science. Did Abraham Lincoln take notes on a laptop when he went to law school at Emory? No of course not, he was too busy fighting Attila the Hun at Waterloo during the revolutionary war and worrying about prohibition and that salve girl he had a kid with, Mary Hemmingway (Ernest’s niece) to take notes. I learn this *&^% through osmosis. I was a history major and I never took notes in UG and I remember all this crap just fine.